PAUCITY

“Be alert. The world needs more lerts.” As a bumper sticker motto, that makes excellent sense. Most bumper sticker mottoes do. Some however make you want to get out of the car at the stoplight and ask the driver what the heck his/her message means. Some of them make me want to get out and take a tire iron to the driver, but I always tell myself that the car is new to the driver, who hasn’t had a chance to remove the old stickers—s/he doesn’t really mean that.

The messages on most cars are political: the two-year-old campaign sticker and “Don’t blame me; I didn’t vote for Name”. Some are obscene—among which I include the little line drawings of children making water onto advertising logos, etc. and the silhouettes of (presumably) naked women. Some are personal: “My child is an honor student at Name of School or memento mori, “In loving memory of Name, 1956-2001.” Some are philosophical: anti-abortion, pro-ecology and religious.

The one of which I am still uncertain had a peace sign—circled crow’s foot—on the left and a cross—uncircled—on the right. The motto was “Choose which to follow.” Weellll, I suppose since the Prince of Peace said that He would come again with a sword, maybe that makes sense.

The word of the day for January 9, 2007 is “paucity” — 1 : smallness of number : FEWNESS. 2 : smallness of quantity : DEARTH.

Our quote for today is from Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), Unpopular Essays, “An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish,” (1950):

For my part I distrust all generalizations about women, favourable and
unfavourable, masculine and feminine, ancient and modern; all alike, I should say, result from paucity of experience.

;^)

LITERATE

A salute to my friend Rae who is now the coordinator for the literacy project run by Goodwill Industries Education & Training Center. She’s looking for volunteer tutors. I’d offer, but I know that I am not a good teacher. I have no patience.

Yet, I understand the need for teachers—not just the formal kind in classrooms on schedules, but the person at the grocery store who offers tips on what to do with the papayas one is eyeing with misgiving. One of the things I do at work is explain to co-workers how one of the computer systems we use works. I don’t mind it too much, except when Dumb-as-rocks asks the same question three days in a row. Never mind that I tell them to write it down, they can’t find the scrap they wrote on, again. I get to thinking, “Where do they come from, and why do they send them to me?’

The word of the day for January 8, 2007 is “literate” — 1 a : EDUCATED, CULTURED b : able to read and write. 2 a : versed in literature or creative writing : LITERARY b : LUCID, POLISHED [a literate essay] c : having knowledge or competence [computer-literate] [politically literate].

The quote for today is from: Katharine Fullerton Gerould (1879–1944), Modes and Morals, ch. 7 (1920):

Conventional manners are a kind of literacy test for the alien who comes among us.

;^)

BELEAGUER

We've been going down to the city park on the river to feed the birds for the past few weeks. There are Canadian geese, mallard ducks, two breeds of gulls, starlings, pigeons, and crows. Usually we either buy the off-code bread from the bread outlet, but once in a while we buy a 50 lb. bag of game corn, which cost about the same per feeding. The game corn is probably better for the birds but the bread is easier to get.

Yesterday, the ungrateful gulls anointed the car while we were tossing out the corn. I suppose that's because the gulls prefer bread. In fact, if we toss out an entire slice of bread, the gulls will converge on whichever bird picks up the bread and a melee ensues. They don't do that when we feed corn. Perhaps they just like an excuse for a scrum.

The word of the day for January 7, 2007 is "beleaguer" - 1 : besiege 2 : trouble , harass[beleaguered parents] [an economically beleaguered city].

Our quote for today is from William Shakespeare (1564-1616):

When forty winters shall besiege thy brow
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field,
Thy youth's proud livery, so gaz'd on now,
Will be a tatter'd weed of small worth held.
Then being ask'd where all thy beauty lies,
Where all the treasure of thy lusty days,
To say, within thine own deep-sunken eyes
Were an all-eating shame and thriftless praise.
How much more praise deserv'd thy beauty's use
If thou couldst answer, 'This fair child of mine
Shall sum my count and make my old excuse,
Proving his beauty by succession thine!
This were to be new made when thou art old
And see thy blood warm when thou feel'st it cold.

;^)

EPIPHANY

We plan to take down our Christmas lights today. We would have done it yesterday, but it was raining-that fine mist that gets up under your umbrella no matter what. The day before was too windy. We live in Kansas; what else need I say.

There's a superstition that all the Christmas decorations should be down by Epiphany (Three Kings Day to those who know about such things) Probably started by some harried housewife who wanted to involve her family in the search and pack-up of all the ornaments and candles. How on earth do pine needles manage to hide until August, and then manifest in the middle of the living room carpet just before the in-laws arrive?

The word of the day for January 6, 2007 is "epiphany" - 1 capitalized : January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ. 2 : an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being. 3 a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something. (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking. (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure. b : a revealing scene or moment.

Our quote for today is from Reginald Heber (1783-1826), Epiphany:

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid.

;^)

INSIPID

Rented M. Night Shymalan’s Lady in the Water last night. It’s listed as a horror movie. I suppose that for eight to twelve year-olds, one might consider this horror. There seems to be a trend in these PG-13 “horror” movies: The Ring, The Village, etc. They have some gruesome scenes—without the grue—but they are not bone chilling horror as the original The Haunting or Louis Jourdan as Dracula.

My husband, Lloyd, asked me this morning how LitW had ended; he must have fallen asleep. Will I buy the DVD? No, nor would I buy the sound track CD if such a thing exists. Ho hum!

The word of the day for January 5, 2007 is “insipid” — 1 : lacking taste or savor : TASTELESS [insipid food]. 2 : lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate, or challenge : DULL, FLAT [insipid prose].

Our quote for today is from Logan Pearsall Smith (1865–1946), “Life and Human Nature,” Afterthoughts (1931):

Happiness is a wine of the rarest vintage, and seems insipid
to a vulgar taste.

;^)

OBESE

According to the freebie calendar from the pharmacy, January is Weight Loss Month. Well, I’m all for that. I’m giving up chocolate as one of my New Year’s resolutions. Partly because I’m way too fond of the sugars and fats that go with chocolate to make it superb. I think sometimes that chocolate, like coffee, is just an excuse to mainline sugar and cream.

The other reason to eschew my favorite treat is that the chocolate producers haven’t convinced me that their goods are created entirely without slave labor. As someone once said, “You can’t stamp an origin on every bean.”

The word of the day for January 4, 2007 is “obese” — having excessive body fat.

The quote for today is from: Gwendolyn Brooks (b. 1917), “The Anniad”:

Think of sweet and chocolate,
Left to folly or to fate,
Whom the higher gods forgot,
Whom the lower gods berate;
Physical and underfed
Fancying on the featherbed ...

;^)

CATARRH

Lloyd and I have been nursing some sort of cold/sinus infection/allergy nastiness since our Christmas travels. Let me just say that the people who inform us that we have x many miles of intestine, skin, etc. have way underestimated the amount (and capacity) of sinus cavities. When the neighbor came over Saturday to watch the Cotton Bowl with Lloyd , he brought a box of tissues as a hostess gift.

Nebraska lost, but Lloyd didn’t weep too hard. He’s been in a sort of quasi-mourning since Tom Osborne retired from coaching. Oh well, there’s always next year.

The word of the day for January 3, 2007 is “catarrh” — inflammation of a mucous membrane; especially : one chronically affecting the human nose and air passages.

Our quote for today is from: John Webster (1580?–1634), The Duchess of Malfi:

DUCH. I forgive them: The apoplexy, catarrh, or cough o’ th’ lungs,
Would do as much as they do.
BOS. Doth not death fright you?
DUCH. Who would be afraid on ’t,
Knowing to meet such excellent company
In th’ other world?

;^)

ADAPT

Back to work today: dredging up passwords, putting up a new calendar, adjusting to the schedule. The nearest restrooms in the building are still under renovation, which means we have to trek a half block to and from the next nearest. Makes one plan one’s day a bit more carefully.

Looking at the paper on my desk, I can see that no fairy godmother waved a wand at my cubicle during the winter hiatus. Fortunately, we are all in the same boat on this one. “I’ve slept since then” is on everyone’s lips.

The word of the day for January 2, 2007 is “adapt” — to make fit (as for a specific or new use or situation) often by modification.

Our quote for today is from: Martha Beck, O Magazine, "Growing Wings", January 2004:

Any transition serious enough to alter your definition of self will require not just small adjustments in your way of living and thinking but a full-on metamorphosis.

;^)

REGENERATE

I have decided to restart my Word of the Day series. Yes this is late, but I'll catch up and we'll be up and running Several years ago this was an ongoing monologue with a word and its definition, a paragraph or two loosely connected to that word and a quote for the day. You have been chosen to receive this daily e-mail because I like you. I encourage you to comment, but please don’t use the Reply To All button, as others on the list may have smaller mailboxes and/or smaller tolerance of spammed stuff. If you don’t wish to be on the list, just let me know. It’s much easier to remove a name than one would think.

The word of the day for January 1, 2007 is “regenerate” — 1 : formed or created again. 2 : spiritually reborn or converted. 3 : restored to a better, higher, or more worthy state.

Our quote for today is from William Wordsworth, 1888, ECCLESIASTICAL SONNETS, IN SERIES, 1821-22:

XVII. CONVERSION

PROMPT transformation works the novel Lore;
The Council closed, the Priest in full career
Rides forth, an armed man, and hurls a spear
To desecrate the Fane which heretofore
He served in folly. Woden falls, and Thor
Is overturned; the mace, in battle heaved
(So might they dream) till victory was achieved,
Drops, and the God himself is seen no more.
Temple and Altar sink, to hide their shame
Amid oblivious weeds. "O come to me,
Ye heavy laden!" such the inviting voice
Heard near fresh streams; and thousands who rejoice
In the new Rite, the pledge of sanctity,
Shall, by regenerate life, the promise claim.

;^)

PRIMUS

I am moving all my WORD OF THE DAY blogs to this new blog. When I have done so to my satisfaction, I will close out and delete the old blogs.

;^)